Shell shaped synthetic food carrier

ABSTRACT

An artificially created solid synthetic food carrier formed at least in the shape of a clamshell, one half of a two-shell clam. The clamshell used to carry food products for storing, serving and presenting the food. The formed clamshell being resistant to cold and heat permitting the clamshell to carry food stuff taken from a cold environment such as a refrigerator to the heated environment such as an oven or stove. The solid artificial clamshell also adapted to withstand freezing temperatures for extended duration. The artificial clamshell fabricated from at least calcium carbonate, nylon, glass fibers and color additives. The food carrier adapted to contain within at least food products such as stuffed clam, stuffed oyster, stuffed quahog, and any other foodstuff the food carrier can contain.

FIELD

The invention relates generally to a food carrying apparatus, more particularly a manufactured solid synthetic clamshell shaped dish, placing food upon the carrier, the carrier adapted for using as food storage within a chilled environment, the carrier adapted for use as a carrier within a heated environment, also using the carrier also as a serving dish that food can be consumed directly from as the food rests on the clam shell carrier.

BACKGROUND

In the past food preparation persons and apparatus have used neural clam and other mollusk shells for use as food carriers when presenting, storing, holding, or presenting for service a food product such as a stuffed clam, shell fish meat, clam or in general shell fish based recipes. A clam may be defined as any of various usually burrowing marine and freshwater bivalve mollusks of the class Pelecypoda, including members of the genera Venus and Mya, many of which are edible. A quahog a member of the clam family or hard shell clam can be defined as an edible clam (Venus mercenaria) of the Atlantic coast of North America, having a hard rounded shell, also called hard-shell clam or round clam. A mollusk is any of numerous chiefly marine invertebrates of the phylum Mollusca, typically having a soft unsegmented body, a mantle, and a protective calcareous shell and including the edible shellfish and the snails.

A clam is protected by a two closed half shells; the shells can be separated (usually by prying the two half's apart) exposing the clam or meat of the clam. The meat of the clam is edible and can be used in many edible food recipes.

A clam, clam meat or clam recipe can be served to a consumer for human consumption in a plurality of ways. Commonly, a clam can be opened and the meat separated from the shell then served separately or can be placed on the half shell thereby serving the clam on a half shell using the shell as a dish or food carrier.

Typically a patron of a restaurant, supermarket or supplier would purchase a clam or stuffed clam, the consumable food product would be supplied on a carrier, dish, plate or similar arrangement, many producers use a carrier that is a natural clam, quahog, mussel or mollusk shell or half shell. The natural clam shell carrier is characteristically half of the clam with the clam meat removed and cleaned for use as a holding or serving apparatus. Shellfish food preparation establishments procure the clams, clam meat and clam shells in a variety of ways. The procurement of these items do not always happen at the same time. For example the shellfish processing facility will open the clams separate the clam meat from the shell and supply the shell meat separately from the shell. Someone who then purchases the clam meat and carrier (natural shell) will prepare the meat into a recipe in conjunction with that the shells are cleaned and stored for use as carrier when the clam recipe and the carrier are ready to be united. In some instances the clam meat or recipe and the clamshell can be procured separately from each other. However, before the clamshell can be used as a carrier the clam must first be opened the clam meat removed the shells cleaned and even stored for use at a later date. This process can be time consuming and costly. Frequently the shucking organization cleaning and storage process is labor intensive and many times have poor yield, where the shells are broken or do not clean to a level that it can be used as a food carrier.

This inventor recognizes this problem and can solve this problem by manufacturing a shell that is similar in size shape and function as a natural shell but does not have a lot of the fall backs of the natural shell. Natural shells have some of the disadvantage aforementioned but also when a natural shell is taken form its environmental and cleaned and treated it becomes more brittle in time resulting in a delicate food carrier application. The inventor has solved this problem by providing a solid synthetic food carrier that looks and feels like a natural shell that is highly durable, efficient and more cost effective.

SUMMARY

The invention provides an apparatus and method of using a synthetic food carrier. More particularly illustrations of this invention relate to a manner in which to use common materials and method in creating a sold synthetic food carrier in the shape of a clamshell. Using embodiments and implantations of this invention will allow the user to construct an artificially manufactured clam shell having the same if not better properties as pervious methods. Moreover, embodiments and implementations of this invention will allow the user to construct and use an artificial clamshell more effectively and efficiently, resulting in time and energy savings, without sacrificing strength, function or appearance. This Invention is directed toward construction of a food carrier using a process know as injection molding where a shell shaped food carrier can be formed from polymeric materials. The injection molding machine melts the polymer resin and injects the polymer melt into a shell shaped mold. The polymer is allowed to cool; the mold that can be built is several sections are separated to allow removal of a solidified polymer shape. The shell shape can of any cross sectional configuration including a continuous cross section thickness to a varying cross sectional thickness. Advantages of this process include having a solid durable shell shaped carrier.

In one illustration the combination of materials used to form this invention is at least Nylon 6,6, calcium carbonate, glass fibers, and color concentrates. Nylon 66 or equivalent can be used to form this shell. Nylon 66 is a polyamide and well known in the arts, at a glance some information on Nylon 66 are, Uses: fibers, thermoplastics, Monomers: adipic acid and hexamethylene diamine, Polymerization: acid catalyzed condensation plomeriesation, Morphology: highly crystalline, Melting Temp, 280 Deg. C., and a Glass transition temperature: 50 Deg.C. Calcuim carbonate CaCO3 is in the carbonate class and in the calcite group, and glass fibers having a primary ingredient of silica sand.

Today food carriers shaped as clamshells are natural clamshells. These clamshells are harvested, cleaned, disinfected, stored, and used as a food carrier. The inventor has realized that natural shells have many disadvantaged including but not limited to the time, effort and availability of harvesting the shells from their natural environments. After the shells are harvested they must have the clam meat removed, the shells separated and cleaned and disinfected, over time the shells become brittle and break, often time the shells are harvested, cleaned and stored only to discard them after damage.

Many food carriers shaped as a clam today use various methods to manufacture the carrier some of those include a shell shape that is manufactured in many different layers for example a core layer that shows the shells colors and textures then a clear layer deposited on the top and bottom to seal in the shape and color. Yet other inventions have included a single color plastic that paints or sprays on color. The inventor has seen disadvantaged in these past methods both functionally, practically as well as ethically.

The tradition way of using a natural and presently manufactured clam shell shaped food carrier has been found by the inventor to be time consuming, costly and not required. The tradition way of using natural and multi layers composite shell carriers is burdensome and unnecessary to accomplish the result of having a clam shell shaped food carrier. Consequently, many inventors have attempted various alternative ways to construct a shell shaped food carrier. The inventor has a novel solution to overcome problems of past food carriers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Other objects, features, and advantages will occur to those skilled in the art from the following description of an embodiment and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1, shows a top view of the shell shaped apparatus viewing the outer surface

FIG. 2, shows a bottom view of the shell shaped apparatus viewing the inner surface

FIG. 3, shows a top view of the shell shaped apparatus viewing the outer surface, having a left hand view section

FIG. 4, shows a bottom view of the shell shaped apparatus viewing the inner surface, having a left hand view section

FIG. 5, shows a perspective view of two shells fit together to form an enclosure

FIG. 6, shows a section view of two shells fit together

FIG. 7, perspective view showing a clamshell half carrier containing a food product

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

A solid synthetic food carrier having a clamshell shaped member 1. The clamshell shaped member 1 including a varying convex shape 2. The clamshell shaped member 1 having in inner surface 3 and an outer surface 4, the clam shell shaped member having an edge 5 that continues around the varying circumference shape of the clamshell. The clamshell shaped member 1 containing at least a formable synthetic material. The clamshell shaped member 1 being constructed from a solid material using at least, nylon, calcium carbonate, glass fibers, and color concentrates. The forming process to form the clamshell convex shape is injection molding or other molding techniques. The synthetic clamshell 1 includes an inner concave surface 3 that is mostly a smooth surface similar to that of a natural clamshell.

The outer surface 4 of the clamshell comprising a plurality of annular grooves 6 having varying curvatures that runs along the shape of the shell similar to the exterior texture of a natural clam or quahog shell. Color of the shell is an off white or grayish coloration, varying between pluralities of hues with a darker color usually blue 7 along the edges of the shell, coloring similar to the natural clam or quahog shell.

The solid synthetic food carrier shell shaped member is substantially a constant thickness cross section 8 within typical molding capabilities. Shell shaped member 1 is substantially similar to the shape of at least a natural clam, quahog, mussel or mollusk shell. Shell shaped member is shaped and suitable for carrying a food product 9. Food product being perishable in many cases the shell shaped member can be exposed to cold or hot temperatures with out damaging the shell, temperatures include but not limited to freeze, refrigerator, stove, oven and microwave temperatures.

The shell shaped synthetic food carrier can be shaped and fitted to have a left half 10 and a right half 11 whereby the two half's can be placed together forming an enclosure. 

1. A solid synthetic food carrier comprising; a clamshell shaped member, the clamshell shaped member having a varying convex shape, the clamshell shaped member having in inner surface and an outer surface, the clamshell shaped member having an edge that continues around the varying circumference shape of the clamshell, the clamshell shaped member containing at least a formable synthetic material.
 2. The solid synthetic food carrier of claim 1 wherein the synthetic material is at least, nylon, calcium carbonate, glass fibers, and color concentrates.
 3. The solid synthetic food carrier of claim 1 wherein the forming process to form the convex shape is injection molding.
 4. The solid synthetic food carrier of claim 1 wherein the inner concave surface of the clam shell is smooth.
 5. The solid synthetic food carrier of claim 1 wherein the outer surface of the clam shell comprising a plurality of annular grooves having varying curvatures.
 6. The solid synthetic food carrier of claim 1 wherein the shell shaped member includes a plurality of colors.
 7. The solid synthetic food carrier of claim 1 wherein the shell shaped member includes lighter colors and darker colors along the edge of the clam shell
 8. The solid synthetic food carrier of claim 1 wherein the shell shaped member is substantially of a constant thickness cross section.
 9. The solid synthetic food carrier of claim 1 wherein the shell shaped member is substantially similar to the shape of a natural clamshell.
 10. The solid synthetic food carrier of claim 1 wherein the shell shaped member is suitable for carrying food product.
 11. The solid synthetic food carrier of claim 1 wherein the shell shaped member is exposed to cold temperatures with out damage.
 11. The solid synthetic food carrier of claim 1 wherein the shell shaped member is exposed to hot temperatures with out damage.
 12. The synthetic food carrier of claim 1 wherein the carrier having a left half and a right half whereby the two half's can be placed together forming an enclosure.
 13. The synthetic food carrier of claim 1 wherein the carrier having a left half and a right half forming an enclosure enclosing a food product within.
 14. The synthetic food carrier of claim 1 wherein the carrier having a plurality of colors.
 13. The synthetic food carrier of claim 1 wherein the carrier is in the shape of a natural scallop shell. 